The “19” in San Diego’s 1904 FC represents the 19th letter of the alphabet, or the S in SD.

It represent something else now: the year the professional soccer club begins playing games.

According to league sources, the North American Soccer League is expected to announce shortly that it won’t open this March while awaiting a key ruling in its anti-trust lawsuit against U.S. Soccer. Instead, the NASL will align its schedule with the international soccer calendar and play from August through the following spring.

Details of the split-season format and its level within U.S. Soccer’s hierachy are to be determined, but 1904 FC president Bob Watkins said his club “most likely” wouldn’t join until early 2019, when it hopes to have a new 10,000-seat stadium constructed in Oceanside. That might be in a re-formed NASL, or perhaps in a different league with a spring-to-fall schedule more common in the United States.

“We want to make sure we’ve got a good product on the field,” Watkins said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing it right and that the fan gets the best experience possible. We’ve had a conversation with Demba (Ba, the principal owner). He said: ‘I’m disappointed, but I understand the situation and we’re probably better off waiting.’”

The NASL played as a second-division league last season with eight teams but didn’t have its status renewed for 2018 by U.S. Soccer, the sport’s national governing body. The NASL responded by suing in federal court and requesting an injunction that would temporarily restore second-division status until the lawsuit can be litigated.

A New York judge denied the injunction in November. The NASL appealed and had an expedited hearing Dec. 15, but a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has yet to issue a ruling.

Meanwhile, NASL training camps for a 2018 spring-to-fall season were set to open in a matter of weeks. Only one team has a coach. Multiple players have signed with other leagues.

“That (ruling) could come tomorrow or it could be in two months, we don’t know,” Watkins said. “So the league got together. All the teams are in the same position. They can’t sign players. They can’t solidify sponsor opportunities because there’s no schedule. And most teams had contingencies on their stadiums like we did, where you had to pay certain additional deposits, and no one can do that without a schedule.”

The compromise is waiting until after the World Cup and playing a schedule aligned with most pro leagues in Europe and the rest of the world, where the offseason is June and July.

Who might be in that league remains an open question. The Deltas won the title and ceased operations. Edmonton FC disbanded as well, although it could be resurrected in a new Canadian pro league. North Carolina FC moved to the second-division United Soccer League. And over the weekend, there were reports that the Indy Eleven may be headed to USL as well.

That leaves four existing NASL teams, plus expansion franchises in San Diego and Orange County. As part of court documents in its request for an injunction, the league said it had talks with several other clubs (believed to be from the semi-pro NPSL) about joining.

If the injunction is granted, the NASL could operate as a second-division entity in 2018. If not, it could apply for third-division status with U.S. Soccer or become an unaffiliated, independent league while waiting for the anti-trust lawsuit to be litigated.

As for 1904 FC, starting in August 2018 creates several logistical hurdles. It might need a place to play, since it had secured USD’s Torero Stadium from March to July and Watkins now says the Oceanside stadium might not be ready until early 2019 instead of September. He added that the club’s deposits to USD can be applied to 2019 as a “backup” venue in case stadium construction is further delayed.

Waiting until 2019 also allows 1904 FC to keep all league options alive, including those like the USL that play a spring-to-fall schedule.

“We’re going to continue to move forward looking at the opportunities we might have in addition to the NASL,” Watkins said. “Our intentions are to be playing for sure in the spring of 2019.”

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